When Do You Need a Roll-Off Container Rental

It’s Demo Day! You may be familiar with that phrase from the popular show “Fixer Upper” about a couple that remodels houses. Demo day often includes a roll-off container or two as they strip the house of the pieces they don’t like.

Maybe you haven’t seen the show, but you’re faced with a similar scenario and need to rent a dumpster. We can help you figure out how to rent the right size and what questions you will likely be asked.

However, you may simply be wondering if a roll-off container is the right tool for your project. It could be yard waste – too big for your normal pickup service – or it could be a medium to long-term project where a container would be useful. In either case, Marks Clearing & Grading can help!

30yds of Fun

We’ll start off big and work our way down to the smaller sizes. The 30yd roll-off container is great for the big projects. It is usually the biggest size available, although we do occassionally offer 40yd roll-off containers for rental as well.

In most cases, a 30yd container will get the job done. It’s most commonly used for projects like the following:

Commercial construction – Very common to see these on a construction site, sometimes behind temporary fences so local residents won’t make “contributions.”

Landscape removal – Trees take up a lot of space. They may not weigh as much as if you were demolishing your driveway, but they are hard to beat for sheer size.

Remodeling – This size will probably take up your whole driveway, but you can throw in quite a bit of drywall before they will fill up.

Don’t worry about having more than one container or how much it can hold! You can call for a new container at any time. Marks Clearing & Grading even allows for scheduled pickups and returns. If you are trying to adhere to a tight schedule, that’s a handy feature.

Somewhere in the Middle

If you’re thinking that 30yds is too much container, don’t worry. There are options that land in between the big dog and the smallest size. Typically, these fall into the 20-30yd size.

This size will work for smaller-scale versions of all of the project types listed above. On average, this size will hold approximately six pickup truck loads of debris. By comparison, a 40yd container will hold approximately 12 pickup truck loads.

Slightly less expensive thanks to its size, this is a great size to rent for a community cleanup project or a church-funded ministry project.

For those one-day projects, scaling down to this middle size can be a more cost-effective option.

The Baby Roll-Off Container

Not to be outdone by its larger siblings, this size container – usually 10-15yds – is surprisingly versatile. This size is great for hauling sand, gravel, concrete, etc.

It is designed to haul the heavier products that would otherwise make a larger container too heavy to haul safely. This is also one of the ways this size container is a versatile option for your next home project.

Instead of using it to just haul things away from your home, you can use it to haul or store things at your home. Marks Clearing & Grading also offers delivery services for things like sand, gravel, top-soil, and mulch.

Been thinking about putting in a fire-pit in your backyard? You will probably need to make sure the ground is level first. But you’re not sure you want to have a dump truck dump gravel/sand in your driveway?

This type of service can work great! Look into requesting a small roll-off filled (or half-filled) with whatever product you need for your grading project. Then schedule the delivery!

Just don’t forget to find some friends that will help you wheelbarrow that into your backyard with you!

If you still have friends after you’ve subjected them to that kind of manual labor, you can impress them with your ingenuity. You had the product brought to your doorstep, but you didn’t destroy your driveway with sand or gravel in the process.

Watch Out!

There are a couple more things you should be mindful of before we let you loose on your next project. Safety is a big factor for any type of construction job – even if it’s the community cleanup project.

Here are a few tools and tips to keep you safe on your next project:

Hard hats – it might sound like overkill, but your head will thank you when a 2×4 smacks you when you aren’t looking.

Safety glasses – with demo in particular, the dust and dirt are flying. Even insulation and drywall debris can be harmful to your eyes.

Safety vests – these are specially useful for larger sites where trucks and heavy equipment are racing around like they’re auditioning for NASCAR.

None of those things may turn into a life-saver for someone on your crew. But if it gets them (and you) thinking about site-safety they were worth it. Sometimes awareness is half the battle.

Time to Haul

One other element that’s important for you to consider: Some areas require a permit for large roll-off container rentals. This will largely depend on the size and the placement of your container.

If you need to place a container on the street, you will likely need to obtain a permit. While not a hard and fast rule, if you are placing the container on your own private property, especially if it’s for a short time, you are usually OK.

Checking in with your local authorities costs you nothing, but may save you a fine down the road.

Hopefully, you now feel ready to tackle your next project and you have a good idea of what you’ll need to get the job done right. Please contact us if you have any questions!